America has lost the art of cooking because so many of us have been raised on fast food and prepackaged foods from grocery stores. Many Americans did not learn to cook from their parents for the simple reason that their parents opted to feed them with convenience foods instead of taking the time to prepare meals.

All of this eating out is having an impact on America’s health. The Daily Texan reports that a Center for Disease Control and Prevention study found that two reasons obesity rates have risen 20 percent over the past 4 decades are: eating more fast food and cooking less at home.
 
Our addiction to fast food is impacting the environment as well. Nofreerefills dot org reported 1.8 million tons of fast food packaging is used each year. All of this food packaging has to go somewhere!

The solution is cooking your own meals at home. Food columnist and author Mark Bittman reminds us, “If you are letting other people cook your food, you are not in control.”

When you prepare your own food, you know exactly what is going into it and you save money!

Choosing quick recipes of your favorite foods makes cooking a snap.

Cooking is also an awesome way to slow down and spend time with your family, creating
memories around delicious and easy recipes.

Start cooking today with simple recipes and take ownership of what you eat. Then pass along what you have learned to ensure that the art of cooking does not slip through the fingers of another generation.